The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-04-28
IN THE SLUMS.
a Day Spent There by a City
Child"

Early one September morning stray ray
OF the sun slipped around the corner of a
big warehouse, and stealing over bit OF
musty rug that had been thrust into one OF
the upper windows a Cherry street tene-
.ment house, fell hotly on the face of man
who was sleeping within the room. 1t was
a brutal face. The sunlight crept with the
tardiness of repugnance over the puffy, dis
col0red checks, the sunken eyes, stubble-
bearded jaw and half open mouth, with its
protruding tusks. The man was partially
dressed. and his Manufactured wife, who
lay by his side on the straw pallet, had dis
carded nothing but her shawl when she re-
tired the night before. In another corner
tSo girls slumbered peacefully and three
children lay sprawling on some old clothes
near the stove. In the middle of the mean
and squalid room lay a can with the stains
of beer on the floor near it. Flies buzzed
about. The air was sitting.
The sun burned in the purple hollows of
fhe mans eyes until he moved uneasily, and
then, suddenly waking, sat up and glared
sAvagely around. His eyes fell on the
crippled form of wan-faced boy sleeping
beside the stove, and seizing one of his
Aobnailed boots he sent it whizzing across
Che room. 1t struck tie child With a
NAs SlAO6SACN " hut0S anu
began hastily to strap on an artificial leg,
sending up a string OF shrill-voiced curses
the while. Then no stopped swearing
abruptly and began to whimper as he asked |:
-SWha' d'y' wan fadderp
''Th' marnin' loaf, v twisted brat. Quick |
Git out of here"
The boy half Strengthened his curved
hack, grabbed his clothes in his skinny
little hands, and stumbled and hoped out
OF the room. In the passage below he
washed his face in the moldy sink, brushed
back his long black hair with his grimv
hands, clothed his crooked form and
presently went Amping of toward a neigh
boring bakers shop with the corners of his
mouth drawn down.
''Shure, Corkey," said the bakers wife.
slipping tart into the hand of the crippled
ten-year-old along with the loaf Of bread.
-yer's whites four-sieve this mornin,.n
ats me leg, Mrs. Murphy" said the lad.
deity stealing another tart as the woman
turned away. ''lt alters hurts me whin
pat it on first"
He went limping back, clasping his Grip
pied leg with his hand but smiling crafuly
over his shoulder at the bakers shop as he
r1unched the stolen tart
He was New York boy, born in the
'siums, reared amid peuury, want and dis
tress, with q pitiful physique and invalid's
face and the shrewd, sportive and mocking
nature of hundred thousand OF his fel-
kow-chidren of the gutter. Even at that
early hour there were many Of his play
mates about. One OF them was sitting on
a coal box, looking up toward the eighth
story Of gloomy looking tenement across
the way, where a candle SIN a;ckered in
1ne of the windows.
tsGit onto de light up In Widder Grogan's
room. Corkey," said the lad on the coal box
with delighted grin.
sfWhat's it furl"
tFur Mrs. GrogaA's daughter Moll, what
-xiut OF wild the pick-i-nic Of de- 'soci'ashun
snf Perfect Gents OF de Forth ward yester
day mornin' an amt got back yit De ole
-Fomsn's bin wsitin' all night fur her. She
thinks Moll's drownded"
The sharp face Of the cripple lighted up,
and lmping hurriedly into the middle of
ake street, he screamed with such shrillness